The present invention pertains to safing and arming apparatus for a slapper detonator, which slapper detonator is well-known in the art and, therefore, will only be described briefly. Generally, a slapper detonator is a type of detonator in which a small particle of material is driven, as a result of the application of a very high electrical current, into an explosive charge. The explosive charge, which is relatively stable and not subject to detonation as a result of normal shocks such as dropping and the like, is detonated by the extremely high velocity particle of material. Slapper detonators generally include a relatively large capacitor capable of storing a very high amount of energy at a very high voltage and some type of switching mechanism to rapidly short the capacitor across the active portion of the slapper detonator. Since the slapper detonator is a stable device that can only be activated by the very high current from the associated capacitor, the slapper detonator may be mechanically mounted in-line with the explosive charge and is not considered armed until the capacitor is charged to a predetermined value. Generally, mechanical safing and arming devices contain a relatively unstable explosive charge which is mounted out of line with the main charge and, upon arming, is rotated into line with the main charge. Thus, the slapper detonator is considered an in-line detonator.
In general, because of the extremely high amount of energy required to charge the slapper detonator capacitor and the consequent restraints this places on a power supply, it has been extremely difficult to incorporate the slapper detonator into ordinary projectile fuzes, of conventional weapons such as bombs and missiles. For example, it is common practice to delay the arming of a bomb until safe separation from the release aircraft has occurred. Generally, it is desirable to allow the bomb to drop for some predetermined period of time, such as 5 seconds, before beginning the arming process. It is then desirable for the arming process to require no more than approximately 1/100 of the time the bomb has been falling. Thus, it is necessary to charge the slapper detonator capacitor to the predetermined amount in something less than 50 milliseconds. Since any electrical generator contained on the weapon, such as a battery that starts after firing or dropping the weapon or an air driven electrical generator, produces only small amounts of current at relatively low voltages (generally under 100 volts), it is very difficult to provide the high voltage (10's of kilovolts) and high power required to quickly charge the slapper detonator capacitor.